The declaration of surplus allows starting sale procedures, but the district has not yet identified buyers, prices, nor definitive uses for the land.
The Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted to declare 12 HISD properties surplus. The decision allows the district to begin the procedures necessary for a possible sale.
The list includes nine school buildings that ceased operating as campuses at the end of the 2025-2026 cycle. Also listed are a facility, a warehouse, and a regional office.
However, none of the properties has been sold. HISD has also not identified buyers or published sale prices.
Nine closed schools are included in the property list
The 12 properties included in the measure are:
- Alcott Elementary School
- Briscoe Elementary School
- Burrus Elementary School
- Cage Elementary School
- Dodson Facility
- Fleming Middle School
- Franklin Elementary School
- N.Q. Henderson Elementary School
- Port Houston Elementary School
- Ross Elementary School
- Velasco Warehouse
- West Area Office
The measure and the list of properties appear in the official HISD Board of Trustees agenda.
Declaring a property surplus does not mean it has already been sold
Classifying a property as surplus indicates that HISD can advance with the procedures to offer the property. It does not represent a completed sale nor confirm that the district has accepted a proposal.
Therefore, each land parcel could go through a marketing process, receipt of offers, and evaluation of potential uses. The district has not yet published a schedule to complete these steps for the 12 properties.
During the meeting, the Board of Trustees chair, Ric Campo, noted that the classification does not obligate immediate delivery of the land to the highest bidder. Among the possibilities mentioned were affordable housing projects, community centers, and other public uses. Nonetheless, the board did not approve any specific project.
Neighbors and officials call for participation in the future of the land
The potential change in ownership has generated questions in neighborhoods where the schools operated for decades. Concerns focus on who could buy the land, how proposals would be selected, and whether new projects will preserve any public benefit.
Dani Hernandez, elected member of the HISD School Board, asked that the district allow participation by residents and elected representatives before permanent decisions are made. State Representative Christina Morales also requested a public hearing on the future of the properties.
Neighborhood leaders from Independence Heights and the East End have proposed preserving some parcels for community services, early childhood education, workforce training, or other public projects. So far, those ideas have not constituted approved plans.
HISD has not calculated how much it would receive for the 12 properties
The district has not published appraisals, initial prices, or a combined estimate of the money that a sale could generate. It has also not indicated what portion of potential proceeds would correspond to each property.
Since 2024, HISD policy allows proceeds from the sale of properties to be deposited into the district’s general fund. However, there is still no specific allocation because the 12 properties have not been sold.
HISD placed more than 16 properties on the market during 2025, with a combined footprint of over 300 acres. Some sales were subsequently approved, including those of three former schools.
The next step will be to determine which of the 12 properties will formally enter the market and under what conditions. Until the district approves a concrete operation, the land will remain owned by HISD.
